Sunday, July 26, 2015

July is just perking along here. It is finally getting hot, that is just good for the bones. I am not saying the humidity is good for you though. Oh I guess it is good so your skin won't look like leather but you know I think I will just keep leather skin over humidity. Ladies are not ment to "glisten" I have always thought this and will stick to my story. When you go in a restaurant it feels good to go outside and get warmed up. When we go in the restaurant we think oh this feels so good and cool but then outside warmth. We can never be happy can we?

Now they are already sending out in the newspapers about back to school is coming. Nooooooo, let us enjoy the warmth and casualness of Summer. It was always my favorite time when the kids were at home and we stayed up late nights and watched horror movies together. Yes we all went to sleep but that is part of the fun. Eating popcorn with it all also. I probably was the only Mother in the world to hate it when school started with all the schedules and rig a marole that goes with school starting. the hustle and bustle to the games be it Volleyball, football, basketball or whatever sport going on. The band concerts just all that goes with school.

Now Summer also ment vacations or staycations as they call them today and fruit and vegetables growing and just everything getting and being pretty. Lush greenery, well in our parts of the world you really have to water it for this little thing to happen, but we did water. Our cotton and peanut crops did get the bulk of the water. Growing from a tiny seed to a big lush and green plant. Yes in the Fall the leaves turned reddish and the cotton white but something about the lush green plant. Going out to check the water----aka getting the in the pickup with hubby and going to the farms to see if the circle systems are doing what they are suppose to do. WATER!!!! I would a lot of times go with hubby to do that in the evenings. A just relaxing time to me and of course we did what I call "car talk" solving the problems of the world and just what was going on for that day. The early morning water checks? Those Hubby got to enjoy all by himself. Well unless it was a slow time and he went on a fishing trip and I did do that also. Didn't mind at all. Well must confess I am not a morning person, early morning anyway.

Last year I bought a blackberry plant. How fun to get some fresh blackberries and not pay an arm and a leg for some. Now you are fixin to see the crop of the year. We got 3, yes 3 of them. So I ran out and took their picture. See? We did get three. Well the next day the bright red one, not ripe yet, was gone. Now what happened to it? Well this year we have had some Bluejays. I suspect they are the culprit that enjoyed the berrie and later the other two berries. But they were home grown and pretty. I guess they didn't care if they was not ripe yet. ﻿

I have been busy, you figured that didn't you? Not sure with what but Summer busy I guess. Well a Texas Ranger game nearly every night which means good stitching time for me and reading for Hubby.

I am in a Round robin, where other stitchers create a set of blocks and then mailed to others and we embelish it to our taste and it goes to the next stitching lady.

Here is a close up of one of the blocks I did and of course had to add a little frog. Ribbit!!!﻿

Another close up of the center of the block, now I have to confess I did do more stitching to the hat and parts of the man's attire. Had to make him as spiffy as the lady. ﻿

The whole finished block. Ready to be shipped off to the next lady to embellish another block of similar colors. Hope you like it, the maker of the block did.

This one isn't one of my ciggie/silkies/pictures in the middle of the piece but I have been blessed. I has some ciggies on Etsy and sold some but a few ladies on a Facebook site wanted me to sell some there. Well wham bam-I sold several fast. That was a little treat and surprise.

Well that is it for this go around and thanks for dropping by and seeing what is going on in my world and all my little bunny trails.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Hello and hope all are fine. I have been missing in the Action of Life, well my computer has been in the hospital anyway. Funny this is the first time ever that I have had a computer just be like a stubborn two year old and not want to play or cooperate at all. We have had a computer since about and around 1985. I guess this computer just wanted to be stubborn and not play. It is mostly repaired so we will see what it wants to do next. I bet none of you have ever had problems with you computer have you? Did I see lots of you nodding out there that you agree with me? Hummmmmm maybe that is why I am turning greyer and greyer in the hairdo area? When they don't want to play correctly you are just tugging at your hair and thinking why am I doing this to myself?

I have been busy as a bee, I promise. I did have to look and see where I left off on the blog. We have had lots of rain and I mean lots of rain---like over 4 inches last week. It had been 2 weeks since we got to mow our yard so it was hot and dry today and off we went. Thank goodness for a riding lawnmower is all I have to say. Yep we still mow our yard and nope we are not tired of it. When we get tired of it we will hire it done but until then we enjoy it and is our little exercise program for the two of us. Eldon mows the front and I edge the front. I mow the back and Eldon edges the back. It is a great combination that we have and the yard doesn't wear us totally out when we finish doing it. It usually takes about 3 hours and then we sit outside together and our fur babies and just enjoy the peace and quiet and seeing how the trees have grown since we have been here. We planted 12 but one died so pretty good odds we think. Besides the dragonflies and the faeries totally enjoy our Mother Nature time together out there. When I use to iron a lot more that I do now, I enjoyed ironing and the thinking I could do while ironing. Mowing is the same thing a good meditation time and enjoying our yard and what we enjoy in life and being thankful for many things. I won't bore you with the particulars on that subject.

Now for the photography marathon.

Of course Crazy Quilting is one thing I have done, that is continual and a every night dance with beads and threads and oh did I say beads? I have done 12 blocks of the Day of the Dead celebration and making a wall hanging of it. Here is July's block and closeup. This is a project of choice with Kathy Shaw and the CQJP 2015. Ladies from all over the world jump in and do 12 blocks of subject and size of their choice. Just something fun to share with like minded ladies. Makes me feel good that there are some ladies out there that think like me. Scary isn't it? I have met, even in person, several like minded ladies. Watch out world there is more than one of me.

This block they are truly having a PARTY!!!!!

Close up

The whole block. Dominique recognize the skull block and Janet the skeleton charm? I am blessed that so many artists share their wares with me.

Now I am in a Round Robin where we sew together blocks of our choice and send all over the country and different ladies embellish them. These are my blocks for an Under the Sea Theme. All the "ciggies' /Silkies I have drawn myself. One advantage of being an artist of different medias I suppose.

Now I did do some projects with canvases and here are some of them. A couple of paintings, of course for sale (the prints anyway) and one a gift for a friend's mother. Finnabair style.

The next two canvases are 30x40 , the same size as Tatonka. Mr. Deer, thinking of " HiaMovi the Magnificent One". This White Tail was one that grandson has and no matter which direction he stood you could not see all of his points.

"Wind Dancer" is also a 30x40 and this beautiful horse is a she. I haven't painted many horses, well two now, but was proud of her.

So there you go, even though computer was ill I was not and still created to my hearts desire. More coming in the works.

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar ,cinnamon, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in butter or margarine till pieces are the size of small peas. Make a well in the center. Combine the egg and the 1/4 cup milk; add all at once to dry mixture. Stir till moistened. On a lightly floured surface roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 2 inch circles or flowers with cookie cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or till light brown on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack. Place about 1/2 tespoon raspberry jam on the bottom of 1 round, top with another round. Repeat with remaining cookies.

In a small mixing bowl stir together powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make of glazing consistency. spread top of each cookie with some of the glaze. For holly berries, while icing is still wet, drop 2 or 3 cinnamon candies on each cookie. Allow icing to dry. Using a small paintbrush, paint several holly leaves and a stem on each cookie with the green food coloring. Makes 54 single cookies.

These also freeze well, either just the cookies or the whole decorated thing. Sometimes the red hot colors may run after frozen but the cookies prettier when first done. But they still get eaten. Sometimes I freeze and then decorate just before Santa comes to visit.

Melt caramel candy, water and margarine in double boiler. Mix in nuts and drop by tablespoon on buttered tray to cool. ( sometimes I put in frig to cool ) When cool, drop patties in mixture of melted chips and parafine and shortneing then put back on tray to cool. Can also freeze when finished or freeze the caramel stuff and then when ready to eat just dip in the chocolate. A special note, then your family can sneek into the the freezer and eat frozen. I dip with the pattie on a fork and then use a toothpick to scrape off the dripping bottoms, did have a fancy thingie for that but was a pain to mess with. Fork and toothpick work fine.

Micro wave version

Microwave caramels 1 -2 minutes till start melting, may take longer but keep an eye on the because they will burn. Stir and add the milk, and microwaves a few more minutes 2 or so. Stir every 30 second and then add the nuts into the melted caramels.

For dipping chocolate, melt the chocolate and parafin and 1 T. shortening for 3-4 minutes til melted. Sometimes I then take the bowl with melted chocolate out and then keep melting the parafine and then pour it into the rest of melted chocolate and parafine. It all doesn't melt at the same time. This just keeps it from burning. Dip as above.

Now remember just doing in the microwave doesn't take out the calories.